Category Archives: Movies & TV

Since we’ve seen all of the films released in 2017 that were nominated for “Best Picture” and “Best Director,” as well as all of the films in several of the other categories, Limelight Magazine has decided to offer our predictions in 12 of the 24 categories vying to win gold at this Sunday’s 90th annual Academy Awards. We don’t anticipate getting all of them right. (We may even get all of them wrong). But, we thought this would be fun and something different to do. Here are our predictions of who we think will win along with who could be a potential spoiler. Tune in Sunday at 8 PM on ABC to find out how we did.

(Please note that we only made predictions in those categories where we saw every film in contention).

BEST PICTURE

Call Me by Your Name

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

Get Out

Lady Bird

Phantom Thread

The Post

The Shape of Water

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

This is the most difficult category to predict because there isn’t a clear front runner. However, The Shape of Water and Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri are our favorites to win. Get Out could surprise with an upset victory. I, Tonya was robbed of a nomination and should have been placed in contention.

2017 was the biggest year for horror movies in cinematic history. Every publication from The New York Times to Variety has written about the biggest box office year ever for this genre. While movies such as It, Get Out, Split, and Annabelle 2: Creation, dominated the headlines, they were just a handful of quality horror films released this year. In looking back on 2017, these were our top 20 favorite horror movies. (As we always note when creating a list like this, we haven’t seen every horror film this year but these are our favorites as of December 31, 2017).

While Limelight Magazine previewed less films in 2017 than in previous years, almost everything we saw was top notch. In fact, out of the 48 films we saw theatrically this year, there were only two disappointments (Personal Shopper and 47 Meters Down). In reflecting back on the cinematic highlights of 2017, these were our top 10 favorites. Rather than go into detail about each one, we’re only going to list them so you can discover these movies for yourself. (Disclaimer: This list is based on films I’ve seen as of Dec. 28, 2017. It could be adjusted in the future as I view other films from 2017 in early 2018).

With the release of Showtime’s Twin Peaks: A Limited Event Series on DVD and Blu-ray earlier this week, we thought it would be a good time to post photos of some of the real-life Twin Peaks filming locations that Limelight Magazine visited in the state of Washington on September 2, 2017. If you’re a fan of the series, you should enjoy these photos. (All photos are courtesy and copyright of Limelight Magazine.)

Many people say that the best horror films came out in the 1970s and 1980s, but that simply is not the case. While there are definitely a number of classic flicks there were released during these two decades, the past 17 years have yielded a number of quality horror films that are just as good or even superior to their predecessors.

Since it’s October, we thought it would be festive to list our favorite 31 horror movies since 2000. We haven’t given any details about each film because you should be checking them out for yourselves and making your own judgments. For the fun of it, we included the “Tomatometer” from Rotten Tomatoes to see how the films rate from critics nationwide. Interestingly, only three of the films (i.e. High Tension, Saw and Tusk) fell below 50%.

It should also be noted that we have not seen every horror film of the past 17 years, but have done our best to see as many as possible. This list will be revised if we find more flicks that are worthy of adding. We realize a list like this will trigger differing opinions so we welcome all of your comments.

It Follows (2015) [Tomatometer = 96% fresh]

2. The Babadook (2014) [Tomatometer = 98% fresh]

3. Tusk (2014) [Tomatometer = 41% fresh]

4. Let Me In (2010) [Tomatometer = 88% fresh]

5. Orphan (2009)[Tomatometer = 55% fresh]

6. Raw (2017) [Tomatometer = 90% fresh]

7. [Rec] 2 (2009) [Tomatometer = 70% fresh]

8. The Orphanage (2007) [Tomatometer = 87% fresh]

9. Martyrs (2008) [Tomatometer = 53% fresh]

10. The Invitation (2015) [Tomatometer = 88% fresh]

11.House of the Devil (2009) [Tomatometer = 86% fresh]

12. Inside (2007) [Tomatometer = 83% fresh]

13. The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2015) [Tomatometer = 73% fresh]

14. Behind the Mask (2006) [Tomatometer = 74% fresh]

15. High Tension (2003) [Tomatometer = 41% fresh]

16. Saw (2004) [Tomatometer = 48% fresh]

17. The Conjuring (2013) [Tomatometer = 86% fresh]

18. Rec (2007) [Tomatometer = 88% fresh]

19. Starry Eyes (2014) [Tomatometer = 75% fresh]

20. The Neon Demon (2016)[Tomatometer = 57% fresh]

21. The Children (2008) [Tomatometer = 73% fresh]

22. Cold Prey (2006) [Tomatometer = No Score]

23. Session 9 (2001)[Tomatometer = 63% fresh]

24. Sleep Tight (2012) [Tomatometer = 93% fresh]

25. The Witch [Tomatometer = 91% fresh]

26. Afflicted (2014)[Tomatometer = 81% fresh]

27. The Mind’s Eye (2015) [Tomatometer = 59% fresh]

28. The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2017) [Tomatometer = 87% fresh]

29. Them (2006) [Tomatometer = 61% fresh]

30. Ginger Snaps (2000) [Tomatometer = 89% fresh]

31. Midnight Meat Train (2008)[Tomatometer = 72% fresh]

Honorable Mentions: Curse of Chucky, Don’t Breathe,The Final Destination,Frontier(s), Goodnight Mommy, The Hills Have Eyes, Hostel, Lost After Dark, May, Maniac, The Sacrament, Saw IV, Saw VI, Trick ‘r Treat, The Void, We Are Still Here and Wolf Creek.

Cambridge, MA – Following up on last week’s feverish announcement, the Boston Underground Film Festival (BUFF) is proud to reveal the remainder of its eclectic 19th edition, taking place from March 22nd through the 26th at the Brattle Theatre and Harvard Film Archive. BUFF’s already dynamic lineup is rounded out with even more intriguing films from around the world, including over 80 short films and music videos that promise to disturb, dazzle, and delight.

BUFF is honored and thrilled to be hosting the East Coast Premiere of hotly-anticipated doc A Life in Waves, an intimate portrait of one of the most influential electronic composers of the last 40 years, Suzanne Ciani. Documentarian duo (and BUFF alum) Brett Whitcomb and Bradford Thomason will be in attendance, along with the diva of the diode herself for a post-screening Q&A at the Harvard Film Archive. Fans of synth would be remiss to miss this! On the other end of the documentary spectrum is our New England Premiere of Dean Fleischer-Camp’s Fraud, an impossible to categorize hybrid-doc and bold experiment in filmmaking that explores the essence of “truth” in a post-truth era. Come and catch one of the most controversial films to take HotDocs by storm last year.

Lovers of all things dark and disturbing are advised to pencil in this quadruplet of narrative nightmares: A grieving mother and a bullying occultist (Steve Oram) face their demons in black magic thriller A Dark Song, from Irish, first-time director Liam Gavin. Valentin Hitz’s gorgeous and unnerving Hidden Reserves gives us a peek at the future-that-could-be (ponder this: death insurance) with his Austrian dystopian sci-fi masterpiece. And speaking of hidden, BUFF presents for the first time ever a Secret Screening; we can’t tell you what it is, but we can tell you that it’s one of the most highly anticipated genre titles coming out this year. Take the leap into the rabbit hole with your pals at BUFF and catch it before all your friends.

Lightening things up substantially is a triple threat of comedic treats: A group of awful idiots fail at throwing a party over and over in Slamdance smash Neighborhood Food Drive, with BUFF alum & director Jerzy Rose and writer Halle Butler in the house. Emerson College alum Michael Reich brings his surreal and sensational She’s Allergic to Cats to the Brattle; you’ll laugh, cry, and ponder duck boobs. Rounding things out is our anniversary screening of oft underappreciated Southland Tales, Richard Kelly’s gonzo anarchic vision of the near future (which may be closer to the near present), which we lift up and celebrate ten years later.

The festive environ would be incomplete without a set of accompanying parties: BUFF delivers in spades this year with our opening night, All Your Heroes Are Dead-themed shindig at Zuzu (hosted by Moon Button and all things vinyl). We’ll have a night of karaoke at Tasty Burger, themed Dystopioke (aren’t you curious), a late-night jaunt out to Boston Bowl for Big Lebowski-themed shenanigans (costumes highly encouraged, dudes), an incredible closing night happening at the Lilypad, hosted by our favorite merchants of awful, The Whore Church, and complete with synth soundscape provided by Dust Witch, Antoni Maiovvi, and Timothy Fife. And, of course, more! Save up your stamina because we work hard and play harder on team BUFF.

A determined young woman and a damaged occultist risk their lives and souls to perform a dangerous ritual that will grant them what they want.

A LIFE IN WAVES – East Coast Premiere

Brett Whitcomb | USA | 2017

This incredible documentary explores the even more incredible life and innovations of composer and electronic music pioneer, Suzanne Ciani. Join us for a Q&A with Suzanne & the filmmakers following the screening!

FRAUD – New England Premiere

Dean Fleischer-Camp | USA | 2016

A struggling family commits fraud in this contentious docu-ficto hybrid.

HIDDEN RESERVES – East Coast Premiere

Valentin Hitz | Austria/Germany/Switzerland | 2016

Where death with dignity comes at a premium, an insurance salesman turned narc must reevaluate his ideology when he falls for the rebel he’s assigned to entrap.

NEIGHBORHOOD FOOD DRIVE – East Coast Premiere

Jerzy Rose | USA | 2017

A group of awful idiots fail at throwing a party over and over.

SECRET SCREENING – Secret Premiere

Secret Director | Secret Country | Secret Year

One of the best genre films coming out this year.

SHE’S ALLERGIC TO CATS – New England Premiere

Michael Reich | USA | 2016

A dog groomer in Hollywood aspires to be more than a dog groomer in Hollywood.

SOUTHLAND TALES – Anniversary Screening

Richard Kelly | USA | 2006

During a three day heat wave just before a huge 4th of July celebration, an action star stricken with amnesia meets up with a porn star who is developing her own reality TV project, and a policeman who holds the key to a vast conspiracy.

BOSTON UNDERGROUND SHORTS LINEUP

Shorts Block DISORDERED STATES:

A TOWN CALLED THEOCRACY

Jehad Al-Kateeb, Syria/USA, 15 min.

Boy and girl meet cute through the magic of municipal overreach.

GUTSCarrie Drzik, USA, 4 min.

The delightful tale about a plucky young heroine left to her own devices.

MARGINAL CIRCUS EMBASSY

ISADORE

A German Expressionist ode to pantomime and our desperate need to please another at our own expense.

YULETIDE

Marinah Janello, USA, 5 min.

Krampus can spy you. But that doesn’t mean you can spy on Krampus.

WALL

Giannis Vlahopolous, Greece, 14 min.

Those who control the money may also be controlling your outrage.

YOU CAN’T ESCAPE

Goirick Das, USA, 3 min.

Ding dong ditching—or the endless cycle of running from our fears and ourselves.

NO WAVE

Stephane Lapointe, Canada, 12 min.

After he hears a man scream within the calming sea of a relaxation radio station, sleep deprivation is the least of Henry’s problems.

BROADCAST SIGNAL INTRUSION

Tim Woodall, UK, 15 min.

The brief hijacking of a TV signal leads a lonely, grief-wracked video archivist onto an obsessive quest for meaning.

Comedy Shorts Block DON’T LOOK BACK INTO THE SUN:

DEATH METAL

Chris McInroy, USA, 5 min.

A metalhead gets passed down a satanic guitar that riffs to shreds.

CALLING IN DEMONS

Porcelain Dalya, USA, 8 min.

Instead of calling out of work sick, Daphne finds that she has demons in her home.

EULOGILIA

Alex Grossman, USA, 11 min.

After her bizarre addiction to eulogize is discovered, a troubled young woman fights to prove her sanity while attempting to survive group therapy.

EARWORM

Tara Price, USA, 5 min.

A lonely man does battle with a relentless piece of music.

IDIOMS ORIGINS ANOTHER TALE

Jim McDonough, USA, 6 min.

According to the legend, each and every idiom came to be after happening in real life. These stories have never been told. Until now

COMPUTER FIGHTERS

Kevin James & Neil Cicierega & Ryan Murphy, USA, 22 min.

When the local rich kid begins to hog a new groundbreaking video game at the arcade, it’s up to Ryan, Neil, and Kevin to stop him.

PET MONKEY

Eric Maira, USA, 8 min.

A date night turns ugly when a persistent boyfriend offers to buy his girlfriend a monkey.

STAYCATION

Zachary Fleming, USA, 12 min.

Rob just wants some quality alone time. So does the apartment he rented.

4D

Laurence Rosier Stanies, Australia, 7 min.

if the fourth dimension is time, what would a real 4D printer look like? A time machine? A black hole?

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Mark Kuczewski, UK, 6 min.

One man’s quest to rekindle his love with his zombie bride.

TAMPOON

Jeanne Jo, USA, 7 min.

When Miranda makes bad decisions about her love life, a possessed tampon enters to take care of business.

CHICKEN TUESDAYS

Brandon Daley, USA, 10 min.

Will Gillman sets out to impress his date by bringing her to a chicken photography competition at a local bar. From the director of last year’s Savasana.

Animated Shorts Block GET THE BALANCE RIGHT:

THE PAST INSIDE THE PRESENTJames Siewert, USA, 12 min.

A couple replays the same encounter day after day.

ADAM

Veselin Efremov, Sweden, 6 min.

A criminal wakes to find he has been stripped of his body and placed into a machine.

MOLAR

Luke Liberty, USA, 2 min.

Strange things are afoot in the dark of the forest.

HOLD ME (CA CAW CA CAW)

Renee Zhan, USA, 11 min.

A bird and her boyfriend are seemingly happy until she wants more.

PANIC ATTACK!

Eileen O’Meara, USA, 3 min.

Maybe you did leave the coffee on; maybe your house plants are gaslighting you.

LILLY HITS THE ROAD

The Bum Family, Canada, 5 min.

An adventure of a 10 foot tall orange monster and her friend Fluffle.

ROGER BALLEN’S THEATRE OF APPARITIONS

Emma Calder & Ged Haney, UK, 5 min.The theatre of the subconscious; sex and death cavort for the audience’s amusement.

THE GOLDEN CHAIN

Adebukola Bodunrin & Ezra Claytan Daniels, USA, 13 min.

On a distant space station, a scientist becomes obsessed with the pocket universe she is monitoring.

THE HISTORY OF MAGIC: ENSUEÑO

Jose Luis Gonzalez, USA, 5 min.

In a small Texas town, a teenage girl’s imagination transforms her bike ride home.

THE ITCHING

Dianne Bellino, USA, 15 min.

A wolf just wants to party with some bunnies, but there is something under her skin.

OPOLIS

John F. Quirk, USA, 3 min.

Lookout! Space alien Attack!

Midnight Shorts Block TRIGGER WARNING:

HELL FOLLOWS

Brian Harrison, Japan/USA, 11 min.

The soul of a sadistic killer posses the body of his identical twin, and is out for vengeance.

STUDDED NIGHTMARE

Jean Claude Leblanc, Canada, 9 min.

Can a man resist the pull of the suicide chair?

FOR A GOOD TIME CALL

Izzy Lee, USA, 12 min.

Maybe you shouldn’t.

MUTT

Bruce James, USA, 14 min.

Faith will do some crazy thing to you, down in the buckle of the bible belt.

MOUSE

Celine Held & Logan George, USA, 11 min.

Two cokeheads come up with an uniquely opportunistic way to stick it to the man. Held and George are a filmmaking duo to keep an eye on.

THE LOWER RACE

Graham Roberts, USA, 10 min.

In the near future, when our toxic earth is ruled by giant ants, one part-human warrior is all that stands against total Insecta domination.

FANGS & CLAWS 2Francisco Lacerda, Portugal, 17 min.

Get ready for the trashiest sequel of the year!

PRINCESS

Jonty Williment-Knowles, USA, 5 min.

A troubling love story, told through a broken lens.

FUCKING FREAK

Salamo Manetti-Lax, USA, 15 min.

As an Alien walks the sun drenched landscape of Los Angeles, it encounters a slew of angry inhabitants mirroring various facets of LA society. A nice little message picture.

New England Horror Shorts Block HOMEGROWN HORROR:

LETTING

Hannah Neurotica, Vermont, 3 min.

A little girl’s nightmares manifest in her toy collection.

LOOKER

Diana Porter, Massachusetts, 10 min.

A scorned woman has a special plans for her lecherous harassers.

FRACTAL

Anna Gravél, Maine, 14 min.

A woman’s return to her childhood home releases terrible memories.

STRANGE HARVEST

Stee McMorris, Massachusetts, 6 min.

A pair of strangers awaken to find themselves imprisoned in a bizarre alien goo.

THE DISSOLVING MAN

Ben Swicker, Massachusetts, 20 min.

An aimless young adult finds his life literally disintegrating before his eyes.

THE PRICE OF BONES

Brandon Taylor, Massachusetts, 10 min.

A pair of women go to disturbing lengths to achieve a socially-desired body type.

THE CALL OF CHARLIE

Nick Spooner, Rhode Island, 14 min.

A Lovecraftian creature makes things awkward for guests at a dinner party.

PEPPERCORN HEARTS

Christine Louise Marshall, Maine, 13 min.

A funeral holds more than sadness for the spurned mourners gathered there.

Shorts Playing with BUFF Features:

WALDEN PINK

Peter Bolte, USA, 11 min.

Walden sits on a park bench as an endless stream of religious proselytizers, process servers, and angry bartenders distract him from from finding peace and clarity to his repetitive and draining existence. From BUFF alum Peter Bolte (Dr. Sketchy’s) and starring David Yow of The Jesus Lizard.

HOME EDUCATION

Andrea Niada, United Kingdom, 25 min

A domineering mother and her inquisitive daughter engage in unusual acts of faith in an attempt to cajole an attic-bound pater familias back from the dead.

THE BRIDGE PARTNER

Gabriel Olson, USA, 14 min

A timid housewife is jolted into a fight for her survival or sanity by her new partner at a weekly bridge game when she thinks she hears a whispered threat.

FROM THE DIZZINESS OF FREEDOM: THE PHILOSOPHY VESSEL

Melissa Ferrari, USA, 8 min.

A visualization of the strategies people incorporate to find meaning in their lives inspired by the mythology and functions of mazes and labyrinths across history.

THE QUANTIFIED SELF

Gleb Osatinski, USA, 11 min

Lozinski, Clare and their daughters Daniela1 and Daniela2 prepare for the girls’ first trip to a The Pillar, which gives meaning to their highly ordered lives. But The Pillar takes and gives and when it blesses the family with a new addition, it takes from them in ways they can’t anticipate.

INK

Ashlea Wessel, Canada, 10 min

A traumatized woman seeks penance and personal transformation through tattooing after surviving a devastating pregnancy. One night, drenched in booze and ink, her deepest fears threaten to consume her.

THREE POINT DYNAMICS

Keaton Smith, USA, 15 min.

An alcoholic, theoretical physicist seeks to right the wrongs of his past by applying his unified theory to reality.

BYEFURNOW

Michael Elliott Dennis, USA, 17 min.

A bereaved pet owner, on the suggestion of a stranger in a bar, resorts to a mobile app to help him find closure.

AN ELDRITCH PLACE

Julien Jauniaux, Belgium, 17 min.

Terror grips a man keeping watch over an erratic researcher’s late night experiments.

RITES OF VENGEANCE

Izzy Lee, USA, 5m

Nuns’ justice comes, their will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

TROLL: A SOUTHERN TALE

Marinah Janello, USA, 12 min.

An eccentric artist navigates self-expression through his experiences living and growing up in the South.

DISCONTINUITY

Lori Felker, USA, 15 min

When Tabitha moves back “home” to the house she shared with her long-distance boyfriend Stephen, their reunion is interrupted by communication problems, neighbors, and a clowder of cats.

BOSTON UNDERGROUND MUSIC VIDEOS

“Turbo Killer”

Carpenter Brut

Seth Ickerman

“Shooter”

Clipping.

Carlos Lopez Estrada

“Being”

Millington

Josh Thomas & Darcy Prendergast

“Father”

Rysy

Martyna Iwańska

“Ten Year Tenure”

Halfsour

Ariana Ratner

“Molly”

Palehound

Lara Jean Gallagher & Brian Kinkley

“No Reason”

Bonobo & Nick Murphy

Oscar Hudson

“Bury the Body”

Ruby Rose Fox

Ruby Rose Fox & Dave Brophy & Roger Metcalf

“Happy”

Mitski

Maegan Houang

“Good Earth”

Fawn

Ariana Anderson

“Nothing”

Tesla Boy

Ryan Patrick

“Roller”

Quilt

Adi Putra

“Ya Ya Ya”

You Won’t

Josh Arnoudse

“Big Dead Heart”

Eldridge Rodriguez

Pat Breen & Cameron Keiber

“Overcame the Sun”

Cloudy Busey

Julian Clark & Adam Hersko & Matt Twohig

“Dropped Bench Press”

Skinny Bones

Eli Susser

“Back Around, Devil”

Dessert

Alex Lill

“Black Man In A White World”

Michael Kiwanuka

Hiro Murai

“Lite Spots”

Kaytranada

Martin C. Pariseau

“Blood in Love”

Ruby Cube

Pierre Teulieres & Milo Gony

“Closer”

Lemaitre

Ewan Jones Morris & Casey Raymond

“I Wanna Prove To You”

Cambridge, MA – The 19th annual Boston Underground Film Festival returns to Harvard Square to kick off New England’s spring festival season, bringing with it a smorgasbord of phantasmagoria, dark comedy, thrillers, killers, and chillers to the Brattle Theatre and Harvard Film Archive from March 22nd through the 26th. The 2017 schedule boasts an eclectic selection of weird, wonderful programming packed with flavors for cineastes of all tastes!

Bubbling up from down-under, also coming to Boston fresh from SXSW 2017, is not-to-be-missed Aussie crime thriller Hounds of Love, a masterful feat of tension, terror, and restraint from Perth-based, wildly talented first-time feature filmmaker Ben Young. In stark contrast to some of BUFF’s darker fare, prepare to meet your new obsession with first-time filmmaker Bill Watterson’s Slamdance 2017 standout Dave Made a Maze, which will beguile and a-maze with its hilarious odyssey through one man’s intricately crafted, booby trapped, livingroom box fort labyrinth; awe-inspiring stop-motion animation and strong lulz await.

BUFF alum Steven Kostanski & co-directing partner Jeremy Gillespie, both of Astron-6 fame, are coming to Boston, bringing with them their moody, atmospheric, tentacular modern horror masterpiece The Void. Speaking of creatures, BUFF is beyond thrilled to welcome legendary creature creator and make-up effects maestro Gabe Bartalos, who will present his phantasmagorific nightmare Saint Bernard for the first time ever to a North American audience.

Individual screening ticket prices vary and will be available online and at the Brattle Theatre box office on the day of screening. Festival passes, which include admission to all films and parties, are available at a significantly reduced rate through BUFF’s ongoing Kickstarter through March 17th. Passes, thereafter, will be available for $180 at www.bostonunderground.org/tickets.

Festival Passes & Ticket Package Presales are available through Kickstarter until March 17th: bit.ly/KickstartBUFF19

###

BOSTON UNDERGROUND FIRST WAVE:

BITCH – East Coast Premiere

Marianna Palka | USA | 2017

Caged in the suburbs of our discontent, a woman (Marianna Palka) snaps and enters a fugue state, consumed by the psyche of a vicious dog. Her philandering, stay-at-work husband (Jason Ritter) must grudgingly assume the role of family caretaker, forcing him to engage with his four children and sister-in-law (Jaime King) as they attempt to strengthen their familial unit and entice mom back to reality. Marianna Palka writes, directs, and stars in her bitingly funny and profound fourth feature.

DAVE MADE A MAZE – East Coast Premiere

Bill Watterson | USA | 2017

Dave (Nick Thune) is an artist who has yet to complete anything of significance in his short career; out of frustration, he builds an elaborate box fort in his living room. When his girlfriend and friends (including Kirsten Vangsness, Adam Busch, and Meera Rohit Kumbhani) enter against his protests, he must save them all from a series of fantastical pitfalls, booby traps, and creatures of his own creation. Actor Bill Watterson writes and directs his hilarious and idiosyncratic first feature.

HOUNDS OF LOVE – East Coast Premiere

Ben Young | Australia | 2016

In Ben Young’s tense, chilling feature debut, 17-year-old Vicki Maloney is randomly abducted from a suburban street by a disturbed couple and held prisoner in their home. As she observes the volatile dynamic between her captors, she soon realizes the key to survival lies in driving a wedge between them.

PREVENGE – East Coast Premiere

Alice Lowe | UK | 2016

In her directorial debut, Alice Lowe (Sightseers, Hot Fuzz, Garth Marenghi’s Dark Place) writes, directs and stars in a pitch black comedic tale of vengeance about seven-months-pregnant Widow Ruth and the unborn serial killer that compels her on her homicidal rampage.

SAINT BERNARD – North American Premiere

Gabe Bartalos | USA/France | 2013

Prolific creature designer Gabe Bartalos (Brain Damage, Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie, Gremlins 2, and the Leprechaun series) crafts a phantasmagoric vision of a classical music conductor descending into insanity with his sophomore feature. Seemingly vanished from a short-lived run on the festival circuit in 2014, BUFF is proud to give this must-see nightmare, and the visionary filmmaker who created it, a proper North American premiere.

68 KILL – East Coast Premiere

Trent Haaga | USA | 2017

Trent Haaga (writer of Deadgirl, Cheap Thrills) returns to the director’s chair following 2011’s Chop with a punk-rock after hours thriller about femininity, masculinity and the theft of $68,000. When Liza (AnnaLynne McCord) asks her boyfriend Chip (Matthew Gray Gubler) to help her rob her wealthy sugar daddy, he can’t say no. Once they step into the man’s home, Chip & Liza embark on a breakneck roadtrip to hell. Adapted from Bryan Smith’s 2013, no-holds-barred crime novel of the same name.

THE VOID – New England Premiere

Jeremy Gillespie, Steven Kostanski | Canada | 2016

ASTRON-6’s Jeremy Gillespie & Steven Kostanski return with a Carpenteresque saga of brutal, cosmic dread, packed with creatures straight out of hell. In the middle of a routine patrol, officer Daniel Carter (Aaron Poole) happens upon a blood-soaked figure limping down a deserted stretch of road in the middle of the night. When he rushes the young man to a nearby rural hospital, he finds that patients and personnel are transforming into something… inhuman. As the horror intensifies, Carter must lead the other survivors into the subterranean depths of the hospital in a desperate bid to save their lives and end the nightmare before it’s too late.

TRINITY – Boston Premiere

Skip Shea | USA | 2016

Award-winning Massachusetts-based filmmaker, writer, artist and actor Skip Shea brings to life a deeply personal and disturbing first feature based on the true story about a moment in the life of a clergy abuse survivor. While at a coffee shop, a man accidentally bumps into the priest who abused him when he was a child, triggering a surreal, PTSD-induced dissociative moment that sends him on a twisted journey through his past.